Refrigerating system



Mar. 6, 1923..

L. PENWELL REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed June 3, 1921 #--avisil LEWISPENWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO A.. B. TRANSIT REFRIGERA-TION' COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OE DELAWARE.

REFRIGERA'I'ING SYSTEM.

Application led June 3, 1921.

To all whom t may concern.: y

Be it known that I, LEWIS PENWELL, a

citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cookand Statepf Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inRefrigerati'ng Systems, of which the following is a specification. L'This invention relates in general to refrigerating apparatus, and moreparticularly to that type in which brine or'other cooled liquid isemployed as the refrigerating me dium.

One of the primary purposes of my present invention is to provide anapparatus of the character indicated, the principles of which may beembodied either in stationary installations, such as small cold storageplants, or in portable installations, 4such as refrigerator cars,refrigerator trucks and the like.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which will be extremely simplein construction, and therefore economical to manufae ture and install,and one which will be substantially automatic in operation so as torequire a minimum of attention. 1

Another object is to provide an apparatus which will be highly efficientin operation, and capable of cooling chambers of substantial cubicalcontent with the expenditure of a very small amount of power.

More specifically, my invention contemplates a circulation of thecooling medium through the chamber to be cooled, partially by positiveapplication of power, and more largely by automatic siphonic action, theapparatus being so arranged that the cooling medium is circulated nearthe ceiling of the chamber so as to secure a maximum and a uniformcooling effect within the chamber.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I haveillustrated on the accompanying drawings, one simple embodiment thereof,from an inspection of which when considered in connection with thefollowing description, the principles of my invention and many of itsinherent advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinall sectional View through an apparatus embodyingmy invention on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fi 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. l; and

Serial No. 474,610.

n Fig.3,is a vertical sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, reference character 5vindicates generally the cooling chamber in which the produce to becooled and preserved is stored. Th1s chamber may be of any preferredsize and construction suitable either for stationary or portable uses,and the walls thereof have lncorporated in their structure,heatinsulatln material of well known or preferred 'c aradt'er.

At the ends of the cooling chamber, there are provided the brine tanks 6and 7 respectively, also having 'heat-insulat.ed walls and adapted tocontain brine or other preferred cooling medium. In the form of theinvenn tion herein illustrated, which is designed more particularly as astationary installation` the brine tanks are relatively low and shallowso that their tops are disposed substantially at the level of a wagonbody, thereby making the delivery of ice from the wagons directly intothe tanks through the openings 8 very convenient. These openings aresealed by theusual insulated covers 9, upon the removal of which the icemay be slid from the wagons directly into the brine tanks. For aportable installation, such as a refrigerator car or truck, these tankswill be considerably deeper and narrower longin tudinally of the car ortruck, and would preferably extend approximately to the top of thecooling chamber. rIhe size and shape of the tanks, however, are 'of noparticular moment in so far as the principles of my invention areconcerned. The cooling medium which I contemplate using in theinstallation shown is brine at low temperatures resulting from themelting of the ice with which the tanks 6 and 7 are charged, the meltingof the ice being expedited by the inv troduction into the tanks ofquantities of salt, which are preferably introduced into the tankssimultaneously with the ice. In some systems, particularly stationaryinstallations, other cooling medium than brine might be employed, andinstead of charging the tanks with ice and salt, the cooling mediummight be reduced to the desired temperature by a refrigerating apparatusof any preferred construction.

For the purpose of circulating the refrigerating medium through thecooling chamberl 5, adjacent the ceiling thereof, I have MES provided anapparatus, which will now be described. This apparatus comprises a mainpositive flow pipe 11 having its intake end 12 communicating with theinterior of the tank 6 some distance from the bottom thereof, and itsdelivery end 13 shnilarly communicating with the interior of the tank 7.Within the cooling chamber 5, this pipe extends upwardly along one ofthe end` 7 to tank 6, I have provided a plurality (in the presentinstance 7) of siphonic return pipes 16, each extending through thecooling chamber 45 substantially parallel with the pipe 11 andcommunicating at each end with the interiors of the tanks 6 and 7respectively, but at a lower level than the intakeand delivery ends 12and 13 of the pipe 11. The relative positions of the ends of these pipeswill be apparent from Figs 1 and 3, since from these figures it will beobserved that the delivery ends 17 of the pipes 16 are disposedconsiderably nearer the bottom of the tank 6 than is the intake end 12of the pipe 11. Similarly, the intake ends 18 of pipes 16 in the tank 7are nearer the bottom than the delivery7 end 13 of pipe 11. Thisdifference in the ,level of communication between the tanks and the mainflow and return pipes insures that the ends of the return pipes willalways be submerged in the liquid since. should the liquid level in tank6 be withdrawn through pipe 11 until the level falls below the intakeend 12, the vithdrawal of liquid from this tank will cease, leaving thelower ends 17 of pipes 16 still submerged.

The return How of cooling medium from the tank 7 to tank 6 takes placethrough pipes 16 by siphonic action, and as the liquid level rises intank 7 through delivery lof cooling medium thereto from the tank 6through pipe 11, the differences in the liquid level in the two tankswill cause a return How by siphonic action from tank 7 to tank 6 throughpipes 16. This flow, however, will not continue sufficiently to reducethe liquid level in tank 7 below the intake ends 18 of the siphonicpipes 16 for the reason that before this point is reached. the liquidlevel in tank 6 will be sufficiently higher to stop the siphonic flow.The return l pipes 16 are always filled with liquid and the siphoningaction will take place whenever the level in tank 7. exceeds the liquidllevel in tank 6.

the pump will have very little resistance to overcome, I have provided amanually operable pump 19 connected through a suction pipe 21 with eachof the pipes 16 and 11, and when the apparatus is to be initiallystarted, this suction pump is manually operated until the air in pipes16 has been withdrawn Iand replaced by the liquid 0001-' ing medium fromthe tanks, whereupon the siphonic action Willbegin. It should be notedat this point that the air suction pump is connected with the pipes 16and 11 at their highest point, thus insuring the withdrawal of all ofthe air from the pipes and preventing the leaving of air bubbles in thepipes which might break their siphonic action. When it becomes necessaryto recharge the tanks with ice and salt, the liquid therein which hasbeen raised to a higher temperature than desirable, is withdrawn througha drain pipe 22 equipped with a shutot't1 valve 23, the point ofconnnunication of this pipe with tank 6 being above the intake end 12 ofpipe 11 so that there will always remain in the tanks suicient liquid toinsure submergence of the ends of the pipes 16. Tank 7 may also beequipped with a drain pipe if desired, but it is unnecessary for thereason that the surplus liquid in tank 7 will be siphoned into the tank6 as the surplus from this tank is withdrawn through the pipe 22.

In the operation of my apparatus, the cooled medium is positivelycirculated in one direction through the pipe 11 by the pump 14 andreturn flow automatically takes place by sphonic action through thereturn pipes 16. The cooling chamber is therefore subjected to thecooling action of all of the pipes, and since the cooling medium onlyflows from one tank to the other, the distance that it travels withinthe cooling chamber is relatively small as compared with systems inwhich the cooling medium is circulated back and forth through long coilsand becomes materially heated so that its cooling llO action is muchreduced before it is withdrawn from the cooling chamber. My improvedsystem, therefore, is highly elicient.

and is capable of reducing the temperature closed coil installations. Inthis system also, instead of relying upon transmission of'heat throughclosed pipes in the tanks` the medium is delivered directlyfrom thecooling pipes into the tanks, where it mingles with the cold medium andthis cold liquid is being constantly withdrawn from both tanks, with theresult that the liquid in both pipes 16 and 11 is always at a lowtemperature, and when it leaves the tanks, is at the same temperature astheliquid in thetanks instead of bein several de rees warmer as it wouldbe ift e heat trans erence took place through closed-coils in the tanks,as is customarily done. Once' thesystem is started in operation, verylittle power is requiredv ture is that the liquid in both tanksis'continually agitated by the withdrawal and de'- livery thereto ofliquid at a plurality of points, consequently, there can be norecirculation of heated liquid, and this result is effected without theuse of mechanical agi- 35 tators.

My improved apparatus is `therefore ,ex-A

tremely simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, easy to install,and is highly efficient in operation. The power required to operate itis slight, and once it has been started, it will continue to operateindeinitely withoutattention other than the periodical replenishing ofthe supply of ice and salt in the tanks, and the withdrawal of thesurplus heated liquid through the pipe 22.

It is believed that my invention, its construction, mode of operation,and many of its inherent advantages will be understood and appreciatedfrom the foregoing without further description, and while I have shownvand described a preferred embodiment of the invention, obviously, thedetails of construction may be varied within wide limits withoutdeparting Jfrom the'essence of the invention as deiined in the followingclaims.

I claim: Y

1. In a refrigerating system, the combination of -a cooling chamber, aplurality of tanks disposed below the upper portion of said chamberadapted to contain a refrigerating medium,.and means for circulating-said medium through said chamber, said means comprising a plurality ofpipes extendingthrough the upper portion of said chamber andcommunicating at each end with the respective tanks below the liquidlevel therein and means for positively delivering vmedium throughsaidchamber from one tank ,to the other. f

2. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a plurality of tanksadapted to positively delivering said medium fromone tank to another,and a return pipe disposed vintermediate its ends above the level ofsaid ktanks and communicating with the interior of both tanks below theliquid level therein whereby said medium is returned to said first tankby siphonic action.

3. \,In a refrigerating system, the combination' of a cooling chamber, aplurality of tanks adapted ,to contain a refrigerating medium, means forcausing a positive delivery of said medium from one tank to anotherthrough said chamber, and siphonic means lcontain a refrigeratingmedium, means for tanks adapted to contain a refrigerating medium, meansfor establishing a diHerence in' liquid level in said tanks, and meansextending through said chamber above the liquid level in said tankstending to reestablish a common-liquid level between the tanks;

- 5. In a refrigerating system,I the combination of a plurality 'oftanks'adapted to contain a liquid refrigerating medium, a.

pipe connecting said tanks, a pump for dcliverin'gliquid through saidpipe from one tank to another to produce a difference in liquid level insaid tanks, and a siphonicd return lpipe'communicating with both tanksbelow the liquid'level therein through which the liquid levels in saidtanks'tend to -equal.`

ize the central portion of said return pipe being disposed above theliquid level in said tanks.

6. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a cooling chamber, aplurality of tanks adapted to contain a liquid refrigerating medium, aplurality of circulating pipes extending through said chamber above thelevelof the liquid in said tanks and communicating with the respectivetanks, and means for positivel delivering liquid through one of saidpipes from one tank to the other, the liquidbeing circulated in thereverse direction through another pipe by siphonic action.

7. -In a refrigeating system, the combination of a cooling chamber,tanks disposed at opposite ends and near the bottom thereof, a pipedisposed near the ceiling of said cooling vchamber and communicating at4each vendiwith said tanks, a pumpfor causing a delivery of liquidthroughsaid pipe from one onfsaid tanks to the other, and another pipenear the ceiling of said chamber disiool posed substantially parallel tosaid first mentioned pipe and connnunicating with each of said tanksbelow the liquid level therein through which liquid is returned from thesecond to the first mentioned tank by -siphonic action/- 8. In arefrigerating system, the combina- I tion of a cooling chamber, a pairof tanks at opposite ends of said chamber adapted to contain a liquidrefrigerating medium, a pipe extending thro-ugh said chamber andcommunicating at its ends with the respective tanks, and another pipeextending through said chamber above the liquid level in said tanks andcommunicating at its ends with the respective tanks below the level ofthe communication of said first mentioned 4pipes with said tanks.

, bination of a cooling chamber, a pair of liquid containing tanksdisposed at opposite ends of said chamber, a pipe communicating witheach of said tanks -and extending through said chamber, 'a pump fordeliverin liquid through said pipe from one of said tanks tothe other,and a plurality of pipes extending-through said chamber and communicatinat their ends with said respectivetanks below the liquid level thereinthrough which` liquid is returned from said second to said firstmentioned tank by siphonic action, the capacity of said second mentionedpipes being greater than the capacity of said first mentioned pipe.

11. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a cooling chamber, aliquid containing tank at each end of said chamber remote from the to'pthereof, a pipe extending through said chamber and communicating witheach of said tanks, a pump for delivering liquid through said pipe fromone of said tanks to the other, a plurality of return pipes extendingthrough said chamber nearer the top thereof and communicating with eachof said tanks below the liquid level therein, and means for withdrawingthe air from said return. pipes.

12 In a refrigerating system, the combination of a cooling chamber, aplurality of tanks adapted to contain a refrigerating cation betweensaid tanks -below the liquid levels therein whereby said cooling mediumis returned to said first tank.

14. The combination with a refrigerator or the like having an icecompartment, of a Siphon arranged in the chamber of the refrigerator anddisposed around the walls thereof, and water traps or seals at the lowerends of said Siphon, onel of which is designed to receive the water fromthe melting ice and the other of which is shut ofil from directcommunication therewith and communicates therewith only through thesiphon whereby the same will circulate through the siphon and the otherprovided with a drain.

15. In a refrigerator, a Siphon extending along the inside of the sideand top walls of the same and having a large heat absorbing surfaceexposed to the provision chamber, and seals at the lower ends of saidsiphon and onel being disposed to receive the water from the melted iceand the other communicating therewith only through the siphon and meansfor filling said Siphon.

16. In a refrigerator, a siphon extending vsis along the side and topwalls of the same at'V the inside and of such form and arrangement thata large heat absorbing surface is presented to the provision chamber,and seals at the lower endsl of said siphon and one being disposed toreceive the water from the 'melted ice and the other receiving wateronly from the discharge end of the Siphon, the short leg of the Siphonbeing directly in communication with the drip Water tank or water supplyand the outlet in the long leg communicating therewith only through theSiphon.

17. 1n a refrigerator, a siphon extending along the inside of the wallsand top of the same and having a large heat absorbing surface disposedadjacent to the provision chamber of the refrigerator, the ends of thesiphon being of the same length and seals at. the lower ends of saidsiphon and one being disposed to receive the water from the melted iceand the other communicating therewith only through the siphon, saidseals being disposed at the samelevel.

LEWIS PENWELL.

